Name: Morgan Rooks-Turcotte

Location: Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada

Certifications through Angel's Animals?
I am Certified Equine Holistic Nutritionist and Certified Equine Kinesiology Practitioner. I`m enrolled in Craniosacral (almost done!), Equine Myo-Manipulative Functional therapy (just my hours left!) and Cold Laser Therapy (super excited for this one!).

When did you decide that you wanted to work with animals? 
From a young age, I knew I wanted to be involved with animals. I had such a big love for animals and aspired to be a veterinarian when I "grew up"! I had my mind set on the rehabilitation side of things when I got more involved at my old barn in training and showing and being more responsible for that side of things. I could see how much it helped the horses, and I was truly fascinated. 

What animal influenced you the most growing up? 
The whole reason I sought out a nutrition certification was for my current horse Barron. My very special OTTB, who I bought from a show barn a few hours south of where I live. He was struggling continuously with his weight and despite being generally healthy as confirmed by his vet, he just was not feeling the best he could. I hired a nutritionist who owned a feedstore and didn't see results after all the products I bought so I finally decided to take matters into my own hands. Once I completed the course, I saw miraculous changes in him PLUS, It was a bonus being holistic because I wanted to look more at just finding a grain for him; I wanted to make sure he was eating the best he could get and feeling both good inside and out!  Now, he's recently been diagnosed with some arthritis so I`m so happy I have other modalities for him to keep him comfortable because even just tape has helped him tremendously. Helping my horse feel better and maintain his comfort is the best feeling I could have ever felt, and I feel so privileged I get to help other horses every day! My old show jumping horse Ellie that I leased before purchasing Barron was the horse that really made me set my mind on bodywork alike. She was sore and lame all the time, and I knew she deserved better when she worked so hard for me. I didn't know how back then, but I knew I wanted to help them. 

What animals do you currently own?
 I own Barron, my one horse, as well as a dog, his name is Kash and my 3 very special kitty girls Aurora, Jolene, and Jack! 

What makes your animal bodywork practice stand out? 
I think everyone has their own little talents and things they do, and its hard cause I look up to a lot of other therapists in my area. I think for me, on the nutritional side of things, is that I don't affiliate with a feed company unlike many others. So, when I`m creating a feed plan for your horse, it's strictly the best you can get with no interference in my personal relation. On the bodywork/kinesiology side, I`m in school to be a Veterinary Technologist and I believe in constant continued education. I strive to offer everything I can for the horses I`m privileged enough to work with. Being a Vet Tech will bring more experience to the medical side of things and may help us dive a little deeper into the How's and Why's. I am also happy we are taught more on just find and resolve, and more on the whole body's general balance and well-being. 

What message would you like to share with potential clients? 
I thoroughly enjoy the work that I do and am so proud of it. I will always ensure I will look in depth into your concerns and ensure that your happy with everything and, I love to stay in touch. The certain certifications I'm after are a lot more in depth then your typical massage or nutrition consult. I investigate the whole-body balance, not just finding and fixing one issue. I find this way; it keeps them comfortable for longer and helps them both inside AND out! I know I say this a lot but it`s something I`m so focused on! 

What message would you like to share with others who are thinking about pursuing a career in animal bodywork?
It takes dedication, but it's so rewarding. Bodywork is something that I think should be in every horse owner back pocket for how much they do for us not only physically, but mentally too. If you have a love for horses and enjoy seeing them pain free and want to help that, consider looking into courses! ​

Name: Tessa Goddard

Location: East Texas, USA

Certifications through Angel's Animals? Holistic Equine Nutrition, EMFT, Equine Craniosacral

When did you decide that you wanted to work with animals? Ever since I was little I knew I wanted to work with animals, but it wasn't until became a very active horse owner at the age of 10 that I truly discovered my passion for helping animals heal. I have been through so much throughout my horse journey and I have seen the damaging lifestyles horses have been brought into. Through my journey, I have discovered so many new ways to care for and support our equine friends through holistic nutrition, integrative bodywork, energy awareness, and truly healing from nature with the power of herbs and essential oils. I always aim to Renew, Restore, and Rewild through the support of every healing modality we have access to and specialize in species appropriate care.

What animal influenced you the most growing up? One of my first horses, who I still have today, pushed me in more ways than I can explain and he is the one who led me to where I am today. We used to do eventing together and we were an intense team - always going to shows, practicing 6 days a week, and always striving for the next level. But through this, he unfortunately got pushed too hard and developed multiple injuries and conditions so I decided it was time to retire him. Through this, I discovered he needed so much rehab and a whole new way of living. I went on my own and started searching various ways to rehab and support, which led me down the path of species appropriate care, consent based training, and a whole new way of caring for our equine friends. He led me to discovering my passion for rescuing and rehabbing horses through utilizing the healing gifts we have been given through nature to support the Whole Horse in order to Rewild.

What animals do you currently own? Between my family and I, we own about 40+ animals! We have 2 dogs, several cats, 10 horses, 2 donkeys, and many many chickens! I am beyond thankful for each and every animal we have rescued and rehabilitated with the power of holistic health and love!

What makes your animal bodywork practice stand out? I do things a little differently than most and I provide personalized virtual support to reach more parts of the world! I specialize in Holistic Equine Nutrition Consults with an emphasis on Meridian Balancing and self-selection of aromatics. Through this a lot of my clients need guidance on how to support their own horses through various bodywork modalities so I provide them with specialized actions plans to teach them virtually! I provide them with videos as well as detailed reports walking them through the various steps of supporting their horse through massage, energy healing, and accupressure. This is alongside the very detailed action plans of nutritional adjustments, walking the client through the new personalized diet I created for the horse based on muscle testing and meridian balancing! I also provide very detailed actions plans on how to offer aromatics to the client horse and how to heal from the root level at targeting cellular healing:) I combine nutrition, bodywork, and cellular healing to connect and restore the body as a whole - one therapy can't do it all, rather each therapy needs to work together to Renew and Restore the body.

What message would you like to share with potential clients? The biggest point I cannot stress enough is the importance of support. No matter what, you always need a team of practitioners and health care providers to support you and your horse from every angle on a journey to success. There are so many controversial opinions out there and it can get to be very overwhelming at times - one person says this, the other says that, and you never know who to trust! But when we can find certified practitioners who study holistic health and specialize in various healing modalities, we can ensure we can trust their recommendations and advice. You want to seek out someone who finds their answers from the guidance of the horse as they research species appropriate care and focus on healing from the power of nature and energy awareness. I encourage you to find a team of practitioners that can help you and your horse thrive from every angle because they all need to connect and create a healthy horse! If you want to learn more please reach out to me as it would be an honor to be part of your equine healing and wellness team!

What message would you like to share with others who are thinking about pursuing a career in animal bodywork? Go for it!! Don't ever let self-doubt creep in. I am not going to lie, the path is a long one and never ends as far as learning goes - you will ALWAYS be learning, but to me, that is the beauty of it! Being able to be in an industry where we can support horses (and any animal for that matter) to heal and restore is such a blessing and something you will never regret jumping into! Once you start your journey to becoming an animal practitioner, you will find yourself grow in unimaginable ways as you continue to grow and flourish from each and every animal you meet! The joy that you will attain from seeing animals and humans thrive through a deeper connection found from proper health is something that cannot be found anywhere else and it is truly one of a kind - it is so life changing. So I would encourage you to jump in and chase your dreams!